Suleyman the Magnificent: the 16th-century’s most powerful ruler?

<p>When Suleyman the Magnificent became Sultan of the Ottoman empire in 1520, he was proclaimed the world’s most powerful man, who could use his armies to smite Christendom. But behind the facade, scheming favourites pulled the strings and worked tirelessly to fulfil their own endless ambitions. Rhiannon Davies spoke to Christopher de Bellaigue to uncover the truth about Suleyman’s fascinating reign. </p><p> </p><p>(Ad) Christopher de Bellaigue is the author of The Lion House: The Coming of A King (Vintage, 2022). Buy it now from Waterstones:</p><p><a href="https://go.skimresources.com/?id=71026X1535947&amp;xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fthe-lion-house%2Fchristopher-de-bellaigue%2F9781847922397" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&amp;xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fthe-lion-house%2Fchristopher-de-bellaigue%2F9781847922397</a></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>